How Trump and RFK made America's food too toxic to eat

What’s the story?

Iceberg lettuce that gives you explosive diarrhoea. Mangoes contaminated with salmonella. Listeria in corned beef. Tofu laced with ink. Blueberries that could literally kill you.

Doing a weekly shop in an American supermarket right now should be considered an extreme sport.

Under the leadership of Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr, the standard of US foods has plummeted – and it's no coincidence.

In July 2025, The Trump administration rolled back 52 'obsolete' food standard regulations, in what Miles Taylor describes as a revenge campaign by the president.

He says there are berries in his own fridge he is banned from eating, because they are only safe for consumption if his wife boils them first and makes jam.

"This is happening in every household. People are scared to eat certain things from the grocery store," Miles says.

"What's happening here is the year-over-year phenomenon, and we have seen a more than tenfold increase in outbreak-related illnesses in the United States since 2025.

"That's not just a bad lettuce. That's not some bad growing. That's systemic failure."

‘We have had several Americans die’

Returning to the White House after his 2024 election win, Donald Trump was gunning for payback against government officials, and departments, who had blocked or opposed his initiative during his first term.

The FDA was one of his prime targets – and now the American people are paying the price with their stomachs, gut health and in some cases, their lives.

"There were 3,000 staff members fired from the Centre of Disease Control, more than 3,000 staff members fired at the Food and Drug Administration and more than 11,000 officials from food safety agencies," Miles adds.

"They canned almost a fourth of the people responsible for food safety in the federal government, and this is the consequence."

Two deaths from cyclospora outbreak in iceberg lettuce have been confirmed in Michigan, and one from Listeria caused by soft cheese in Maryland, both in 2026.

Hundreds have been infected in a salmonella and E.Coli outbreak caused by jalapeño peppers.

"You get rid of those people; they can't run the investigations and they can't warn the public, so people get sick," Miles adds.

"And in some cases, we've had several Americans die."

Emily Maitlis says the state of America's food safety is "scandalous".

"The FDA has cut $12 billion in grants for state health departments," she says.

"Turns out that cutting red tape is not always a great idea."

Is toxic food part of making America healthy again?

'Make America Healthy Again' has been the slogan of RFK, who has served as Donald Trump's Health Secretary since February 2025.

He has previously admitted he has short-term and long-term memory loss due to a worm eating a portion of his brain, and has neurological problems caused by mercury poisoning.

The goals of his MAHA campaign include targeting ultra-processed foods, restricting the purchase of high-sugar drinks and sweets, improving water quality and tackling pesticide use in the farming industry.

The Trump administration is currently facing a lawsuit over its use of 'forever chemical' Trifludimoxazin, which can cause reproductive harm, birth defects and neurological deficits, and takes decades to break down once inside the human body.

Miles says the "big question" being asked in the US right now is who is Trump, and his administration, trying to help with the changes in food quality introduced in his second term – the American people, or the farming industry which has supported his second term as president.

"Is he trying to help Americans, or is he trying to help corporate agriculture and other interests that have been big supporters of his candidacy," he asks.

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